De Villiers out of Champions League T20

He has chronic back and ankle injuries and needs careful management ahead of the Test tour of Australia next month.

Johannesburg: South Africa limited-overs captain AB de Villiers has been ruled out of the Champions League T20, where he would have played for Titans, with chronic back and ankle injuries and needs careful management ahead of the test tour of Australia next month.

South Africa manager Mohammed Moosajee says the wicket-keeper-batsman had a recurrence of both his lower back and left ankle problems at the World T20 in Sri Lanka, where they failed to make the semi-finals, and would have returned home if it wasn’t a major tournament.

Moosajee says De Villiers needs rest and rehabilitation for 3-4 weeks but should be fit for the three-test series in Australia, which starts on November 9.

Moosajee says the injuries are worse than before, but “if we manage him properly he’ll be fine ... If we don’t manage him it’ll be a problem.”